While some maintain that immigrant enterprise promotes the upward social mobility of new ethnic groups, others argue that it often contributes little to group advancement. This article examines the case of ethnic saloons owned by Eastern European immigrants in a Pennsylvania coal-mining town between 1880 and World War I. It is argued that social embeddedness eased the entry of Eastern Europeans into the business but restricted their ability to succeed. Most went out of business and returned to blue-collar work after a few years. Only the few who diversified or expanded beyond the ethnic saloon market accumulated much wealth. Thus, in this case, ethnic entrepreneurship contributed little to group advancement.
The International Migration Review is a peer-reviewed quarterly journal on sociodemographic, economic, historical, political and legislative aspects of human migration and refugee movements. Each issue of IMR presents original articles, research and documentation notes, reports on key legislative developments - both national and international, an extensive bibliography and abstracting service, the International Sociological Association's International Newsletter on Migration, plus a scholarly review of new books in the field. IMR also offers annual special issues. Planned by the Editorial Board in conjunction with guest editors, each of these issues provides an extensive and comprehensive analysis of a single topic of emerging relevance in migration studies. Through an interdisciplinary approach and from an international perspective, IMR provides the single most comprehensive forum devoted exclusively to the analysis and review of international population movements. Email for IMR Editor: cmslft@AOL.com
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The International Migration Review
© 1993 Center for Migration Studies of New York, Inc.
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